Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Social Status, Physical Activity, And Socio-Demographics On Willingness To Pay For A Basket Of Organic Foods, Julia Knaggs, J. Ross Pruitt, Lindsay Anderson, Marco Palma

Sociology Faculty Research

Consumers are known to signal social status through their purchasing behaviors. As the food industry continually expands its use of strategic marketing to reach customers, understanding food’s connection to this kind of status signaling may open the door to explore new markets for farmers. This study explored the influence of social status, physical activity, and socio-demographics on an individual’s willingness to pay for a basket of high-quality organic foods. Over 3 days, participants had their physical activity measured by a pedometer, and they were randomly assigned to a social status condition and subsequently placed bids for the organic food basket …

Multiple Streams Theory: Insight Into The Global Compact On Migration, Wa'ed Alshoubaki, Michael Harris

Public Administration Faculty Research

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) was founded based on the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants to address the immigrants' needs and hosting states' responsibilities. This study aims to better understand how GCM became part of the global public policy agenda and was formulated through the interactions of three main streams to create "the window of opportunity." This study reflects upon the knowledge of the policy process through leveraging the multiple streams theory (MST) and modifying it to reconcile the differences between the national and the global public policies. The synthetic review shows the …

Neighbourhood Deprivation And Lung Cancer Risk: A Nested Case–Control Study In The Usa, Maureen Sanderson, Melinda C. Aldrich, Robert S. Levine, Barbara J. Kilbourne, Qiuyin Cai, William J. Blot

Sociology Faculty Research

Objectives To examine the association between neighbourhood deprivation and lung cancer risk.

Design Nested case–control study.

Setting Southern Community Cohort Study of persons residing in 12 states in the southeastern USA.

Participants 1334 cases of lung cancer and 5315 controls.

Primary outcome measure Risk of lung cancer.

Results After adjustment for smoking status and other confounders, and additional adjustment for individual-level measures of socioeconomic status (SES), there was no monotonic increase in risk with worsening deprivation score overall or within sex and race groups. There was an increase among current and shorter term former smokers (p=0.04) but not among never …

Socioeconomic, Environmental, And Geographic Factors And Us Lung Cancer Mortality, 1999–2009, Maria Carmenza Mejia De Grubb, Barbara J. Kilbourne, Katy Kilbourne, Michael Langston, Lisa Gittner, Roger J. Zoorob, Robert S. Levine

Sociology Faculty Research

Background The American Cancer Society estimates that about 25% of all US cancer deaths will be due to lung cancer – more than from cancers of the colon, breast, and prostate combined.

Methods We ascertained county-level age-adjusted and age-specific death rates and 95% confidence intervals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Compressed Mortality File. Multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the strength and direction of relationships between county poverty, smoking, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, and US Census divisions and race- and sex-specific lung cancer deaths.

Results Poverty, smoking, and particulate matter air pollution were positively …

Rural Congestive Heart Failure Mortality Among Us Elderly, 1999–2013: Identifying Counties With Promising Outcomes And Opportunities For Implementation Research, Maria Carmenza Mejia De Grubb, Robert S. Levine, Barbara J. Kilbourne, Baqar A. Husaini, Tyler Skelton, Lisa Gittner, Michael Langston, George E. Rust

Sociology Faculty Research

Objective Describe modern trends in congestive heart failure (CHF) among elderly (>65 years of age) in the United States, to identify potentially successful rural areas. Compare CHF mortality using multiple- (MCOD) versus underlying-(UCOD) cause of death data.

Methods U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality files (WONDER internet site).

Results Using MCOD data, overall mortality rates/100,000 population (and 95% confidence intervals) for CHF among persons >65 years of age (1999–2013) were 482.0 (481.2–482.8) for large central and large fringe metropolitan (LCLF) counties, 549.6 (548.6–550.7) in small and medium metropolitan (SM) counties, and 652.6 (650.9–654.0) in micropolitan and non-core, …

An Exploration Of Poverty In Central Appalachia: Questions Of Culture, Industry, And Technology, Cara Robinson

Social Work and Urban Studies Faculty Research

By most government statistical definitions, Central Appalachia is one of the most impoverished regions in the United States. Many of the region’s residents are low income, dependent on government benefits, have high rates of obesity and diabetes, and low rates of college educational obtainment. Central Appalachia is historically tied to the coal mining and railroad industries. Many scholars believe this historical bond created an internal colony of company-dependent residents who have been unable to transition successfully from those industry’s boom eras or escape the lingering effects of industry environmental, health and economic degradation. While coal mining stripped the land of …

Labor Unions, Corporations And Right-To-Work Laws: Impacts On The American Economy, Cara Robinson

Social Work and Urban Studies Faculty Research

The labor movement of the U. S. continues to bring the issue of worker rights to the forefront of American policy debates. As the American economy again has shifted from one based on manufacturing and the production of hard goods to one reliant upon human, financial and informational services, the labor movement faces new challenges. Labor unions and business leaders continue to disagree on the proper role of collective action and the effectiveness of policies aimed at the workplace sector. Today, one of the largest debates is the continued role and expansion of Right-to-Work (RTW) legislation. The debate is often …

Historically Black Colleges And Universities: Sustaining A Culture Of Excellence In The 21st Century, Nia I. Cantey, Robert Bland, Lakerri R. Mack, Danielle Joy Davis

Social Work and Urban Studies Faculty Research

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) continue to provide a substantial role in the black community and in higher education by providing a culture of excellence. Yet, their role in higher education is the center of many academic and political debates. Defining this role has been thwarted with questions of HBCUs relevance in society, in the African American community, and in higher education. The relevance of HBCUs is neither the dilemma nor the question for higher education and HBCUs. The conundrum for HBCUs is ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary tools to address global and economic 21^{st …}